The Democratic Party voters of Lowell have spoken, as have some in segments of Chelmsford and Tewksbury, and their voices expressed loud and clear decisions.
Lorena Betts, John Drinkwater and Tara Hong emerged victorious in their respective State Representative primaries, with the outcomes never really in doubt once the first set of numbers started to roll in.
Betts bested Lowell City Councilor Corey Robinson in the race to succeed 16th Middlesex State Rep Rodney Elliott. The unofficial final margin was 2,831-1,194 (roughly 70%-30%) The difference was even more pronounced in Betts’ hometown of Chelmsford, where the margin was 1,603-251 (86%-14%).
Betts will now face Republican Karla Miller in the November 3rd general election, in a district that includes parts of Chelmsford.
Drinkwater and Hong will not face any GOP opposition in November and will take the oath of office on Beacon Hill in January.
Drinkwater emerged victorious in a three-way race in the 17th Middlesex District, which includes one precinct in Tewksbury. Unofficial numbers show the former Lowell City Councilor finishing with more votes than his two opponents combined, tallying 2,056 votes (59.73%), compared to 881 (25.60%) for Harini Aiyer and 505 (14.67%) for Anthony Leite.
Hong, the only incumbent of the trio seeking re-election, also coasted to victory against City Councilor and former Lowell Mayor Sokhary Chau.
While the win itself may not have been a shock, the margin of victory for the first-term 18th Middlesex Rep caught most pundits by surprise. Hong bested Chau 2,025 (67%-33%) in the unofficial tally.
More than 2,000 people watched the results trickle in during our Live Primary Election Show, which streamed on InsideLowell.com and our YouTube Channel.
2 responses to “Betts, Drinkwater and Hong Roll to Decisive Wins”
THANK YOU, MR. Teddy Panos, once again for ALL your hard work and the very important community service you provide! As ALWAYS, YOU are GREATLY appreciated! Also, THANK YOU to your hardworking election night TEAM of Mr. Gerry Nutter, Mr. Asa Stutz and Ms. Erin Gendron! Ì also wish the ABSOLUTE BEST to the candidates that prevailed, and those that did not.
Just an opinion and fair observation.
The statement made by some of the Lowell City Councilors back in 2023 was a coordinated, politically motivated cabal and attempt to bypass the legal system, weaponize an alleged accusation, and unfairly erode public trust before any facts were established in court. Councilor Robinson demonstrated his respect for due process by turning himself in voluntarily, and the legal system eventually dismissed the charges.
Why, was it maybe because the accuser had recanted and completely stopped cooperating or was it because she had a well-documented 10 year past history of violent behavior with past boyfriends and police officers? While some of his fellow colleagues, the city councilors, used very unfair and aggressive parliamentary tactics like refusing to second his motions to politically isolate him and distance themselves, their actions were not a reflection of his guilt, but rather a calculation to manage and preserve their own public images.
The damage inflicted by this premature political “ice-out”, completely subverted the constitutional presumption of innocence before an investigation could even begin. Plus, the never ending and crazy obsessive, sensationalized newspaper headlines, un-leveled the playing field, creating a continuous and lasting shadow that unfairly suppressed voter turnout and cost him the state representative primary, even after he was legally cleared. Pure and simple, a smear campaign!
Where was the fairness under the rule of law? Because when rights are upheld, law serves humanity. When ignored and denied, laws become oppression.